Mes edward smith



(No Model.)

J. E. SMITH.

METHOD or MAKING 01am BUNGHES. 8 No. 393,726. I Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

N. ruins, PholvLihwgnphar. wahm u c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES ED\VARD SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF 'IWVO-THIRDS TO ADOLPH MOONELIS AND BENJAMIN LIGHTENSTEIN, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF MAKING ClGAR-BUNCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,726, dated November 2'7, 1888.

Application filed July 19, 1888. Serial No. 2 0,430. (No modehi To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, J AMES EDWARD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the method of Making Cigar-Bunches, of which the following is a specification.

In the manufacture of long-filler cigars by hand the bunch is built up in the hand by first taking the longest pieces of filler that constitute the longitudiual'center of the cigar and then arranging around the same different lengths of tobacco, so as to form at the desired place the swell or belly of the bunch, and thus secure the desired longitudinal contour.

The operator determines by feeling with the hand whether the belly of the hunch is properly made, and if the ends of the short pieces of filler leave crevices or small spaces, which can be quickly detected by an experienced bunch maker, the binder is unwrapped and the short pieces readjusted, or more filler added to remove the objection, after which the binder is again rolled.

It is the object of my invention to obviate the use of and to dispense with these short filling-pieces to give the cigars, cheroots, or cigarettes the swell or belly, and to prepare the leaves. of tobacco prior to rolling them into bunches in a peculiar manner, so that all of the tobacco that forms the filler extends continuously from end to end of the bunch and at the same time the desired longitudinal contour is secured.

\Vith these ends in view, I first take one or a series of blanks and produce upon its edges a series of incisions, thus forming a series of projections of a shape conforming to the shape of the cigar to be produced, and then roll the blank or blanks so formed upon itself to produce the bunch. By thus preparing the filler, I am enabled to produce a bunch which is of greater diameter at the places where the blanks that make the filler are widest and the bunch tapers toward each end, due to the removal of a portion of each end of the blank, which thus secures a continuous filler, and the external longitudinal contour of the bunch conforms to the shape sought to be secured.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will now proceed to describe it in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a tobacco-leaf, showing in full lines the condition of the leaf after one blank has been cut therefrom, and in dotted lines the method of cutting asecond series of blanks. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank removed from the leaf of tobacco; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a bunch, showing the filler extending continu onsly from end to end thereof.

In carrying my invention into practice, a number or series of leaves of tobacco, A, are placed one upon the other after they have been properly stripped and booked, and a blank,

0, is cut from one end of each of the leaves,

as indicated in Fig. 1. This blank 0 which forms part of a cigar, cheroot, or cigarette filler corresponds in length to the completed cigar, cheroot, or cigarette, so as to extend continuously therethrough. Along each edge of the blank 0, I produce or cut a series of incisions, d, which form a series of projections,

b c, said projections conforming substantially to the shape of the bunch to be produced.

After the first blank 0 has been stamped from one end of each of the leaves A, the end of each leaf from which the blank has been cut is provided with a series of longitudinal 8o open-ended slots, as indicated at din Fig. 1, which slots are formed by removing the projections c at one end of the blank 0 first cut therefrom.

As is well understood, the tuck end of the cigar is ordinarily made of greater diameter than the head, except in making some special shapes of cigars,in which both ends are of uniform thickness; and in order to make the tuck end alittle larger than the head, when the 0 cigar-filler is prepared in accordance with my invention, the projections c at one end of the series of blanks are made slightly wider than the projections b at the opposite end of the blanks.

In the practical operation of cutting the blanks with a die or cutter, I cut the second blank from the-leaf in reverse order from the first blank, to avoid waste, and to accomplish this end I prefer to reverse the cutter or die :00

and to adjust it so that the cutters or knives at one end thereof exactly coincide with the longitudinal slots D in the cut end of the leaf A. It will be understood,however,that when the filler is prepared to make a bunch having the projectionsb c of equal width it is not necessary that the die be reversed, as one end of the die for preparing fillers of this character will properly fit in the slots made in one end of the leaf by the opposite end of the die.

To roll or make a bunch of a cigar, cheroot, or cigarette with the blanks prepared in the manner described, it is only necessary to roll together one or more blanks sufficient to form a bunch of the required thickness, and then wrap the binder around the same, the blanks having been properly disposed or arranged, so that theends are substantially flush or even.

3y removing a portion of the blank at each end,and leaving the middle solid or of the full width, the ends of the bunrh,\vhen the blanks that form the filler are properly rolled together, are smaller in diameter than the belly of the bunch, which thus tapers properly toward each end. By thus preparing the filler before it is rolled into a bunch, Iam enabled to produce a bunch having the filler extending continuously throughout the length thereof, and which is free from short pieces, and at the same time the bunch is given the desired longitudinal shape.

A ciganbunch made of a filler prepared in accordance with my method is equal or superior to the best hand-made cigars,and it can be more quickly made and with the exercise of less skill than is required in making a good quality of hand made cigars, eheroots, or cigarettes, as the buneh-maker is not required to determine by feeling with the hand whether the shorter' lengths of filler are properly arranged to give the belly to the bunch. Furthermore, the bunch is uniform and spongy throughout its length, which is highly desirable.

The length of the projectionsb c of the blank, as well as the width thereof,is immaterial,and can be varied at pleasure to make bunches of various different shapes.

As before stated, my method of preparing the filler can be carried into effect by hand, which, however, necessitates the cutting of the blank into suitable length,and afterward trimming or cutting the edges thereof to reduce the ends; but, besides the tedious labor and time required in practicing the method by hand, considerable waste oftobacco is involved. I do not therefore wish to confine mysclfto the use of dies or cutters.

In this application I lay no claim to the blank or filler as herein shown and describerLas such blank or filler forms the subject-matter of another applieation, Serial No. 285,155, filed by me on the 11th day of September, 1888.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The method ofmakingacigarfiller or bunch, which consists in cutting from a leaf of tobacco a blank and forming in its edges a series of incisions, thus providing a series of projections of a shape conforming to the shape of the cigar to be produced, and then rolling the blank so formed upon itself to produce the bunch, substantially as described.

- In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

J AMES EDW'ARD SMITH.

Witnesses:

ADoLPH MooNELIs, II. T. BERNTIARD. 

